1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to desiccant systems. More particularly, it relates to systems wherein the contents of a bottle, such as, for example, pharmaceuticals (pills, tablets, capsules) are stored in a low humidity environment.
2. Prior Art
There are a variety of ways to package desiccant materials used to provide humidity control in bottles or enclosures such as those used to store moisture-sensitive scientific instruments, specialty chemicals, or pharmaceuticals. Generally, these consist of packets that are filled with desiccant materials, canisters containing such materials, or solids such as tablets or cylinders containing desiccant. All of these approaches have respective disadvantages.
First, desiccant packages take up space. Thus, they reduce the volume of material that can be stored within an enclosure. In some cases, this may not be a major disadvantage. However, once a sealed enclosure is opened, these desiccant packs can fall out and are often lost. In fact, in some cases, individuals not aware of their purpose tend to discard these packs. Thus, the contents are no longer safeguarded against excessive moisture. In those cases where the desiccant package is retained, it is often removed from the package and exposed to dust, atmospheric moisture and other forms of contamination before being returned to the package. Thus, unwanted bacterial contamination may take place and the contents may no longer be appropriate for consumption.
If small desiccant cylinders are permitted to remain in a bottle containing, for example pills, there is a chance of them being accidentally ingested. While this in itself may not be dangerous, the failure of someone to take a critically required medication, because that person believes it has already been taken, may be extremely dangerous.
Desiccant canisters, while avoiding some of these problems, are expensive to manufacture. The costs involved in making an entire enclosure of a desiccant material are inherently significant.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system for placing and retaining a desiccant in a container so as to overcome the disadvantages inherent in existing desiccant systems.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a desiccant and container system wherein the usable space available in the container is not significantly reduced by the presence of the desiccant.
It is another object of the invention to provide a desiccant and container system wherein the desiccant material is not easily lost or contaminated.
It is a still another object of the invention to provide a desiccant container system that is easy to manufacture and low in cost.
In accordance with the invention, a sheet of desiccant material is placed in an enclosure or bottle which requires humidity control. The sheet may be sized and shaped so that it can be rolled up, placed through the neck of the bottle, and allowed to expand inside the bottle against the walls thereof. Accordingly, the sheet is then effectively secured in place within the bottle against its walls. It cannot easily be removed from the bottle and lost. Further, it is not subject to exposure to atmospheric moisture, contaminants and bacteria that may be found outside the bottle. Finally, it is not subject to being accidentally ingested.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cbottlexe2x80x9d refers to a bottle, enclosure, or other container, and may include jars, pill bottles, or other similar structures in which moisture sensitive products may be packaged.
The present invention is also directed to a method for producing the container and desiccant system described above. In accordance with the method, a desiccant sheet of appropriate size and shape is rolled into a cylindrical configuration, placed through the neck of the bottle into the interior of the bottle, and then allowed to expand against the walls of the bottle, thus securing the sheet within the bottle. If the opening or neck of the bottle is not smaller in size than the remainder thereof, a small amount of an adhesive may be used to secure the sheet in place.